The Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry may reconsider its decision to conduct medical entrance exam NEET twice a year, following recommendations from the Health Ministry.

According to sources, the Health Ministry has written to the HRD Ministry, raising concerns on conducting the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) twice a year as the examination calendar may put additional pressure on the students. It has also voiced concern about the students living in the rural areas, who may suffer if the exam is conducted only in the online mode. "However, no final decision has been taken in this regard," a source said.

Last month, HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar had announced the ambitious plan of conducting the medical and dental entrance exam, along with the Joint Entrance Examination - Main for admission to engineering colleges, twice a year by the newly-formed National Testing Agency (NTA). It was also announced that all the exams to be conducted by the NTA would be computer-based. The ministry has also announced the tentative dates for the exams, according to which, the NEETUG is scheduled for February, 2019 with a repeat in May, 2019.